05/01/2010

Inside Canada’s “Hurt Locker”

For Canadian soldiers asked to clear improvised bombs in Afghanistan, every step may be their last. Photographer Louie Palu spent five days on patrol with Canadian soldiers searching for hidden bombs in Afghanistan. He captures their mission and the endless fear.

Pvt. Kris Winther has an early morning cigarette before going on patrol searching for Improvised Explosive Devices (IED's) planted by Taliban insurgents in the village of Kairo Kala in Panjwaii District west of Kandahar City. This area is one of the most volatile and IED riddled areas in the country. (Louie Palu/ZUMA Press)

Pvt. John Howard eats breakfast while an exhausted Cpl. Adam Hilton mans the radio before patrolling in the village of Kairo Kala, searching for deadly Improvised Explosive Devices planted by Taliban insurgents. (Louie Palu/ZUMA Press)

Canadian soldiers live in a compound in the village of Kairo Kala, west of Kandahar City, during patrols searching for deadly IED's. (Louie Palu/ZUMA Press)

A Canadian soldier searches the village Malick, also known as the tribal
leader, in the village of Kairo Kala in Panjwaii District
west of Kandahar City during a patrol searching for deadly IED's planted by Taliban insurgents. (Louie Palu/ZUMA Press)

A Canadian soldier, part of an Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, disposes of a explosive device set by insurgents. The bomb, made of 60 kg of home made explosives and shrapnel, was found in the village of Kairo Kala during a patrol searching for deadly IED's. (Louie Palu/ZUMA Press)

Sgt. Derek Johnson and an Explosive Ordnance Disposal team member blast and destroy an explosive device set by insurgents in the village of Kairo Kala, found during a patrol searching for deadly IED's. (Louie Palu/ZUMA Press)

A Canadian soldier reads his standard operating procedures before patrolling in the village of Kairo Kala in Panjwaii District, during a several day patrol searching for deadly IED's planted by Taliban insurgents. (Louie Palu/ZUMA Press)

Pvt. Shawn Blatchford passes a young Afghan boy of the Noorzai tribe in the village of Kairo Kala in Panjwaii during a patrol searching for deadly IED's planted by Taliban insurgents. (Louie Palu/ZUMA Press)

Canadian Mcpl. Joel Van de Vorst rests in an abandoned building on an overly hot day in the village of Kairo Kala, during a several day patrol searching for deadly IED's planted by Taliban insurgents. (Louie Palu/ZUMA Press)

Afghan children of the Noorzai tribe in the village of Kairo Kala, west of Kandahar City, during a patrol searching for deadly Improvised Explosive Devices planted by Taliban insurgents. (Louie Palu/ZUMA Press)

Canadian soldiers (left to right) Cpl, James Riley, Mcpl. Joel Van de
Vorst and Sgt. Derek Johnson take aim at a suspected Taliban "trigger
man" who may set off a remote controlled bomb in the village of Kairo
Kala in Panjwaii District west of Kandahar City. (Louie
Palu/ZUMA Press)

Canadian Mcpl. Joel Van de Vorst prepares for a night of watching for insurgents who plant bombs targeting his unit in the village of Kairo Kala, west of Kandahar City. This area is one of the most volatile and IED riddled areas in the country. (Louie Palu/ZUMA Press)

A Canadian soldier searches the village Malick also known as the tribal
leader in the village of Kairo Kala in Panjwaii (aka Panjway) District
west of Kandahar City during a patrol searching for deadly Improvised
Explosive Devices (IED's) planted by Taliban insurgents. This area is
one of the most volatile and IED riddled areas in the country. (Louie Palu/ZUMA Press)

Canadian pvt. John Howard, seen after almost 5 days of searching for Taliban bombs in the village of Kairo Kala in Panjwaii District west of Kandahar City during a patrol searching for deadly Improvised Explosive Devices planted by Taliban insurgents. This area is one of the most volatile and IED riddled areas in the country. (Louie Palu/ZUMA Press)

Posted by at 07:52:45 PM

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it's mortifying to these soldiers out on the field fighting someone else's war. i send the blessings of the godess good hope towards them. come back safely to your freinds and familys brave warriors.

thank u to the author who was brave enough to be there to take these photos and many more thanks to the soldiers risking their lives. I just watched the hurt locker and wanted to check up on an old friend and i was so happy to see he was alive in these photos and yet also sad to see the life he now leads is such a dangerous one. I hope he is ok and has made it home safe.